A Little Christmas Magic
by Dragon Claw92
Summary: A gift-fic for Omicron. - What happens when a curious spellcaster finds out about a lack of baubles in his mistress' festive decor? Well, it certainly wouldn't do to leave it void of glitter. But can he pull it off before she catches on?


"Cassidy, why is it that mortals put glowing orbs on trees when there is frozen water everywhere?"

"Huh?"

Jafar fidgeted idly with the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he regarded his little mistress with increasing confusion. At the present, he and the little woman had just gotten back from a walk around her property, and while it wasn't particularly cold or wet for a winter day, it was still a lot colder than the Magician was used to. Not to mention that, due to previous days of cold, there was a light skiff of snow on the ground. "Why do mortals put glowing orbs on trees they have cut down, once frozen water starts falling from the sky? It was on the moving picture box you left on last night."

A sudden cascade of giggles from Cassidy was enough to indicate that Jafar had apparently said something funny. "Why do we put lights on Christmas trees, you mean?"

"I... suppose so? I do not fully understand why people put anything on a tree they just cut down, actually." Jafar confessed. "And why do they cut down trees if they do not need the wood for heat or building something? And why do they use the same colors? Why are they not using a wider array of colors? And what about the round, non-glowing balls they use? And the strands of sparkling material? And why do they put fake stars or little winged people on the tops?"

The paper witch actually had to take a moment to collect herself and her laughter before managing to get a few words out, taking a deep breath before speaking in an attempt to settle herself down enough to make sense. "It's a human tradition, Jafar. Christmas is a season where people decorate their houses and give gifts to each other. And the colors are all part of the traditional stuff too."

"But why cut down a tree?"

"I dunno. Some people just use fake trees now, since they're cheaper and not as messy."

Jafar frowned in mild bewilderment, thinking it all over before shrugging a little. "It seems strange. But I suppose tradition is an important thing to remember." He went quiet for a while, contemplating the explanation he'd received as they slowly made their way back towards the house. "... Are you going to decorate a tree with shiny balls as well?"

"I... no. Not this year." Cassidy said quietly, sounding a bit disheartened. "Can't really afford to go and buy a bunch of decorations for it. Besides, I'll probably spend Christmas with Dad, so he'll probably have decorations up anyway." By now she was unlocking the front door of her house, smiling a little as she pushed it open. "Hot chocolate? I can explain more about the tradition while we're at it."

Several hours passed, filled with the explanation of Christmas traditions, and giggling whenever Jafar said something that – to a human's point of view – would've sounded quite humorous. But in spite of his 'fail moments' in regard to understanding, Jafar felt that, by the time he went back to the Shadow Realm, he had a good enough understanding of the holiday to do something special for his favorite little mortal. Perhaps he would find something really fancy for her in the Shadow Realm and give it to her, or even find a few things he could give her. But what? What could he possibly hope to give her, when there were so many options? Mild frustration at his lack of decision drove him to idly pace the halls of his tower, muttering under his breath about the different things he could do. Finally he threw his hands in the air out of frustration, exclaiming loudly to the ceiling. "Set damn my lack of decisiveness!"

The sudden laugh from behind him nearly left Jafar jumping out of his robes in surprise, turning on his heel and blinking when he found himself staring at a Witty Phantom. Rather, the first Witty Phantom. "By the gods, do you make it a point of scaring everyone you meet?" The spellcaster asked defensively, frowning as he crossed his arms.

The fiend laughed again. "No, but I couldn't help but see you were havin' some trouble. So, you wanna make a special something for your little miss, huh? I might be able to lend a hand. Though..." He took his hat off and idly turned it in his fingers. "You'll have to help me out with a few things to pull it off. I'm not a miracle worker after all."

A smoke-grey eyebrow rose slightly as Jafar regarded his unexpected guest with minor suspicion. "... What kind of 'things', exactly? You know that I do not make deals without knowing what I am getting into first."

"Naturally." The Phantom replied with an idle shrug. "You'd be dumb if you didn't. Won't be big stuff. Just a few charms here, a bit o' magic there... ya know, to really make things shine. No harm, no foul. I'll even get a few others from your girly's deck to help out too, so there's gonna be no problems whatsoever. Phantom's honor."

The Dark Magician huffed quietly at this, but knew the fiend would be true to his word, especially if his honor was on the line. Contrary to most popular beliefs, and the actions of most of the others of his kind, The Phantom was a surprisingly decent – if not shrewd – sort, and refused to back up any bad moves or deals that the younger, less trustworthy ones would get into. In fact, there was really only one other Witty Phantom he would associate himself with, and – perhaps an ironic fact – that young fiend was deckmates with Jafar. "Fine, but if I detect ANY unsavory business-"

The Phantom cut him off, airily waving his hand as he spoke. "Yes yes, damn me to an eternal suffering so profound I will wish I had never been born. Now, I have a few things I need to do, and I'll come back for you when I'm ready. Won't be long."

Jafar opened his mouth to speak again, but before he had a chance to ask the ancient fiend what he was up to, The Phantom simply disappeared in a puff of darkness. "... I really do hate it when he does that..." But there was nothing else he could do. He had made a deal, and he knew that The Phantom would never let him back out of it now that he'd given his consent. Even still though, Jafar had to admit he appreciated the fiend's willingness – over-eagerness perhaps – to help him out. Now all he had to do was wait. And, perhaps, pick out a gift for Cassidy. The question was though...

What would he give her?

It seemed his grumbling had yet to come to an end.

^v^v^v^v^

It had been a long and enjoyable day, Cassidy felt. She got to visit with Simon – and consequently the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that'd taken a liking to him – for most of the light-filled hours, and had enjoyed a leisurely walk back home, arriving just as the sun fully disappeared from view. But even as she opened her front door, something seemed... odd. The air was thrumming faintly with magic, just strong enough that a magic user could detect it, without upsetting the general populace of non-magic users. But it was in her house. HERS. And it wasn't her own magic. What in the world was going on?

Cautiously, she quietly moved over the threshold and crept further inside, blinking a few times when she saw what looked to be the flicker of candle light, a delightful dancing of gentle colors frolicking about the walls that could soothe any troubled soul. Blinking slowly, the little woman proceeded toward the lights in the living room and tentatively peeked into the room... gasping in delight and awe when she beheld the wonders within.

It seemed that, at some point during her absence, someone had snuck in and decorated the room. A beautiful tree was tucked neatly in a corner of the room, adorned with glittering silver and golden balls that twinkled in the candle light, and garland so delicate and sparkly that it could have been described as fairy lace. Lights that twinkled like actual stars peeked from between and on the deep green branches, shimmering just bright enough that they were noticeable without being blindingly bright. Strands of 'fairy lace' garland trailed along the edges of the walls and ceiling, a pale and gentle blue that one could associate with a fresh winter morning, and a gold colored bowl sat on the coffee table, filled with all manner of sweets wrapped in green, red, and silver foil.

But perhaps the most beautiful of all, was the crystalline star that hovered – literally, if one looked close enough to actually see it – over the top of the tree, its many faces glittering like opals in the light of its own gentle, pale luminescence. Faint rainbows of color could be just barely made out on the walls nearest the star, easily called a trick of the light unless one took time to really stop and stare at them.

And if that wasn't enough, there were presents – actual, beautifully wrapped presents! – underneath the tree's branches, each in differently colored paper. A green and silver one looked as though the fern-like patterns on it were slightly waving in an imaginary breeze. A white one's ribbon actually appeared as though it were changing colors. A red and gold one legitimately glittered on its own, twinkling ever-so-faintly in the midst of the other beautiful boxes. And a pale blue one sparkled like ice, its white ribbon pearlescent in the flickering lights around it, casting miniscule rainbows on everything nearby.

For several moments, all Cassidy could do was stare around her in wonderment, mouth slightly open, before she took note of a card that lay on the coffee table beside the bowl of candies. Quietly drifting over, she picked it up and gasped at the faint tingles of magic that ebbed through its paper, the glittering surface rippling shades of green and blue as she lightly trailed her fingers over its face. Finally, too eager to know who was responsible for the festive shenanigans, she opened the card.

It appeared to be a pop-up card, though instead of seeing a snowman, a Christmas tree, or even Santa Claus... she found herself staring at four familiar figures, stylized in an almost cartoony way. On the far left, the Celtic Guardian from her own deck – Hadir – stood proud and smiling in his usual, small-yet-peaceful way. Her Witty Phantom – Tonio – stood grinning like a loon, caught mid-bow with his hat pressed to his chest. Jafar the Dark Magician stood tall and impressive, though a sheepish smile threw most of his intimidating factor out the window. And finally, there stood her best human friend – Simon – with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a broad grin, rather like the white-clad Phantom's, decorating his face. And there in front of the four standing characters, were the words 'Merry Christmas Cassidy' in elegantly scrawled calligraphy, looping and twirling elegantly in glittering purple ink.

A faint squeal of glee escaped her, followed by a loud squeak of surprise as she suddenly found herself hugged from behind by a pair of strong yet gentle arms. "Merry Christmas, Cassidy."

"J-Jafar!"

The Magician merely chuckled and kissed the top of her head, knowing that, deep down, this was the best result he could ever have hoped for.

And all it took was a little Christmas Magic.


End file.
